


Sleeping is Vital

by angelwiththebluebox



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [19]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, FebuWhump2021, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, PTSD, Post Hundred Year War, Whump, post atla
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:35:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29569722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelwiththebluebox/pseuds/angelwiththebluebox
Summary: zuko refuses to sleep due to nightmares
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140539
Kudos: 50





	Sleeping is Vital

Zuko doesn’t know how to relax. 

His father has been leading a war from way beyond his birth. 

But the war’s over. Zuko’s leading the Fire Nation and he has a whole support group of friends, including Sokka who stayed as an ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe. 

He and Sokka have been working together to reestablish communication and trade between all of the nations, and they’ve been getting closer too. 

Like, very close. 

Zuko hasn’t  _ felt  _ like this about anyone, not even Mai, and it scares him to think that if he says the wrong thing, he could lose Sokka for good. 

But he’s trying. He and Sokka have lunch together, Zuko’ll teach him pai sho, and at night they’ll talk until Sokka falls asleep. 

Zuko wishes that just once he could shut his memories off and fall asleep next to Sokka and pretend like his whole childhood never happened. But he never could. Memories kept flashing back, of Azula taunting him, of his father staring at him with those disapproving eyes, of his mother leaving, over and over, no matter how many times Zuko pleads with her to stay. 

Zuko’s solution isn’t a great one, but it’s working. He just won’t sleep. If he doesn’t sleep then the nightmares won’t come, and he won’t have to lie awake in bed trying to muffle the sounds of his screams and his cries so he won’t wake Sokka. 

Zuko just needs to tire himself out long enough to either pass out or fall asleep with no nightmares. 

Either option works, though passing out in a council meeting would be hard to explain. 

Zuko shakes his head and sips his tea, listening to his advisors talking, which might put him to sleep faster than anything. 

***

Sokka knows that something is off with Zuko. 

For one, Sokka is not an idiot, Zuko ‘falls asleep’ after Sokka and wakes up before him. Two, there are deep bags underneath Zuko’s eyes and he’s paranoid all the time. 

Normally, Sokka wouldn’t think this would be such a big deal, but he’s worried. It doesn’t seem like Zuko has slept in over a week, and it’s negatively affecting him. 

Like right now. The very important council meeting that both Sokka and Zuko are in. 

Sokka pokes Zuko’s side and eyes the old council member giving a report, trying to wordlessly tell Zuko to pay attention. 

And to his credit, Zuko’s eyes snap open and he at least acts like he’s listening to the council members. 

Until, his eyes flutter closed and he keels over, hitting his head on the table. 

“Zuko!” Sokka cries and helps him up. “Meeting is adjourned, or whatever. I’m taking him to a healer!”

Sokka carries an unconscious Zuko out of the room, ignoring all of the judging eyes of the council members. 

***

Zuko wakes up a day later. 

Sokka is leaning against the wall, fast asleep. 

“Sokka?” Zuko asks. 

Sokka’s eyes snap open and he rushes to Zuko’s bedside. 

“Oh my gosh, you are never allowed to do anything like that again, Zuko!” Sokka exclaims. “You collapsing in front of council members might have been the scariest thing I’ve witnessed and I almost fell out of a blimp!”

“I’m fine, Sokka.”

“No, you aren’t! Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t sleeping?” Sokka’s voice softens, and Zuko feels awful for not telling him. 

“Every time I close my eyes, I see all of the horrible things I’ve done for my father. I see all of the horrible things I didn’t stop Azula from doing. I’m a horrible person.”

“No, you aren’t. Zuko, you’ve practically rebuilt the Fire Nation out of ashes. It might not be perfect, but it’s better than it has been in a hundred years. Plus, I wouldn’t date a horrible person, so that’s pretty good proof.” Sokka smiles at Zuko and he blushes. “And tonight, you’re going to sleep. Non-negotiable. If you have a nightmare, you wake me up, and I’ll help you, or get you tea, or just sit with you so you aren’t alone. But you need sleep, Zuko, you run a nation. Okay?”

Zuko nods. “What did I do to deserve you?”

Sokka smirks. “That’s a very good question.” 

Zuko laughs, and Sokka kisses him on the cheek, before lightly resting his forehead on Zuko’s. 

“I’m here for you, you do know that, though?” 

“I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> awwww super cute!!!!
> 
> i hope yall liked it
> 
> if you did, please leave kudos and comments!!!
> 
> xx


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